The Magnificent Parade at the India-Pakistan Wagah Border

Being an Indian you can never get really settle with the Patriotism you have got in your blood. Why wouldn’t it be? Afterall we have got freedom after 200 years of struggle. We still get goosebumps and sometimes even shed tears while watching Patriotic movies. I still remember how loud I used to sing the National Anthem while standing in the school assembly during my school days.
I’ve got a chance to witness the Wagah Border Parade ceremony in last summers. It is the lowering of the flags ceremony which has been0 practised daily by the Para Military force of India and Pakistan Rangers. I realised how tough it is for our soldiers to march and display strength of our nation with their heavy uniforms and colourful headgear in the hot weather of Amritsar. The local crowd along with the VIPs cheer with nationalistic enthusiasm to our soldiers to let them know that we are standing behind them always to support and respect their ultimate Sacrifices.Often Known as The Berlin Wall of Asia, the Wagah Border is one and the only Border Crossing between the two uneasy nations. Located on the highway between Amritsar and Lahore, it is definitely something everyone should see while visiting Amritsar.

Reaching to the Wagah Border

The journey from the Golden Temple to the Wagah Border is about an hour long. It is about 35 km and there were 5 of us in the car. There are many options for you to get to the Wagah Border like cabs and auto rickshaw. You will find many Cab drivers asking you to go to the Wagah Border at the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh Complex. It is recommended to reach there earlier in the afternoon as there is a huge amount of Crowd. Approximately a number of 18000 visitors come to catch a glimpse of this nationalistic piece of India. I felt even more patriotic when I reached there by seeing the enthusiasm among other visitors, especially in the girls and women.

Getting inside the premise

There is a 1km walk from the drop off point to the ceremony area. It seems daunting especially under the blistering heat of summers. The mass amount of crowd gathered usually even before the ceremony begins. We have heard that the luggage is not allowed inside the premise, so without taking the risk we left ours inside the car and brought only the essentials.

Pro tip: If you are a foreigner, come along with your passport. You can stand in a VIP queue which is much shorter and less chaotic.

Ceremony Begins

After reaching the ceremony premise we quickly sat on the steps and started waiting for the Parade and then the action began. Music blasted through the speakers and the local females started walking to the centre of the stage. Initially, they were moving their body slowly but as the moment got heated up, other women also joined them and this resulted in a cheerful dance. Witnessing this was so electrifying, as the women were dancing, cheering and expressing their pride for our Country. Men weren’t allowed to join the party so they were recording the dance with their cameras and smartphones standing on the stairs. Everyone was lost in the moment, women of all ages and nationalities even the older women were dancing and had zest in their movements.

After the females went back to their seats, some girls and women were invited by the army officials to carry the flag and run to the border gate and back. They run across the stage by carrying the flag so proudly. I was so amazed to see that how patriotic was everyone at that moment. That unique feeling of being an Indian was something- I’ve never experienced before.

Just after the festivities, the parade started. The soldiers were from the Border Security Force(BSF). There were 15 soldiers including 2 female soldiers who were partaking in the Parade. Their unique ceremonial uniform with headgear spreading out like peacock’s feather (which also signifies our National Bird) was also giving an aura of importance and solemnity.

The soldiers stretched their legs upward aggressively. They were marching together in a strict formation and often kicked their legs high up to showcase our strength. The parade was really magnificent and exhibited the discipline of our soldiers who are protecting our borders selflessly. Besides this, it was also to showcase Pakistan the unity and the strength of our country.
The loud cheering from both the nations made the atmosphere even more intense. Each time the shouts were getting more louder. Every cheer was filled with nationalistic enthusiasm. I have seen the Republic Day Parade many times in my childhood. But experiencing something like this was totally different and amazing. The most amazing moment for me was the flag-waving show by the women.

The Ending

After an hour of parade and cheering, the ceremony came to an end when the soldiers from each side lowered the flags. They saluted each other and shaken their hands. This ceremony is to show the rivalry as well as the brotherhood between the two nations. It is also to show that despite of so many differences between the nations we will still cooperate with each other.If you are lucky enough, you can witness the special bus Sada-E-Sarhad, that travels from Delhi to Lahore. It has been started by a common agreement signed by both the countries.

The Final Conclusion of the Ceremony

If you come to Amritsar, I would definitely recommend a visit to the Wagah Border because the ceremony is definitely one of its kind. The visit is free, and you get to see the locals dancing on the Bhangra, cheering loudly for India, sharing their love with one another and showcasing the respect for the soldiers with pride. It will also take you to an hourly long nationalistic ride in which you will witness the strong bond of unity and strength that resides among the Indians.

Read Also

Reviews

This experience with City On Pedals was a priceless, genuine Amritsar experience that I would highly recommend to travelers and tourists alike and is something you can’t easily get unless you’re with a well connected local.– Charm Bartolay

I believe I was the first ever customer, when I did this tour in mid-December.
The guide had an incredible knowledge about the city, its heritage, architecture, culture and history, as well as the culinary scene!
A must do if when you visit Amritsar!– Jens Fisker

My wife and I took this tour after finding out about it through Instagram. It was a great experience. We cycled to areas not found in any guide books, and to places we wouldn’t even be able to find if tried. Many great food stops along the way. Can’t recommend this enough!– Steven G

One of the best instant connection I have made in life….City on Pedals, the journey started with a simple comment on instagram picture and ended with best of the experience, lots of cultural information about Amritsar and whole lot of finger licking food. Rishab and team is doing great work. The enthusiasm and passion for City on Pedals is unmatched. Would love to do it again and again. Keep it up guys….you are doing the best!!– Bhumika

We were approached by two very polite reps with information about their cycle tour – it sounded really interesting and we signed up for the next day. And they delivered what they have promised – an exciting exploration through Amritsar’s parks, streets and alleys, discovering hidden corners and learning about the history, architecture and culinary treats. I can only recommend it – if you like to get up early 😉– Bhoermann

Our City on Pedals excursion proved there is much more to Amristar than the Golden Temple.
An excellent digital marketer, Rishabh let us know about his company by commenting on one of my Instagram posts (with an #Amritsar hashtag)—and within minutes my husband and I were able to quickly and easily book a tour for the following morning. The next morning, we were delighted to discover that we would be the only ones on the tour: a private exploration of the city with Rishabh and his associate.– Brian

We were a fam of 4 (husband+wife + 2 teenage kids), who took a 6 am cycling trip with City on Pedals, in Amritsar. We were very ably guided through the city with Rishab leading from the front and Aman bringing up the rear. They took us to a bunch of eating places and heritage places too! It was a leisurely 4 hour trip and Rishab was an extremely gracious host -treating us to jalebis, tea, lassi, kulchas, puris, halwa and at the same time interspersing this with historical, cultural and contemporary Amritsar gems(some hidden ones too). Highly recommend this adventure.– Aginder

“Great experience, worth the effort!” – Arianna

We had booked the two morning walking tours, which included the Golden Temple and the hidden gems of the city. It was hard to get up that early but it proved to be incredible! Our first guide Aman was extremely knowledgeable and showed us the Golden Temple, the kitchens, the morning ceremony and much more! The second tour which followed immediately after was like a behind the scenes Amritsar, and at our request they even took us to Jainawala Bag!
If you’re looking for a genuine experience to discover the city, City on Pedals is the only one you need!Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Nicely conducted tour with caring guide Aman” – Panthil

Did the street food tour . There were about 6 stops. Every stop served excellent varieties of street food like gol gappa, paneer pakoda, momos , soda, aam papad, gulab jamun, jalebi etc. The main course was at brothers pure veg dhaba , the thali served there was world class. It had authentic punjabi taste with medium spices. The food stalls were very hygienic. We did the tour by cycle rickshaw. Had a memorable time. The guide and cycle rickshaw pullers were very nice. Five out five stars to this tour!Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Nice Street Food Tour” – Eren Hasan

We went on a bicycle street food tour with Aman which was great fun! We had a good selection of food and he kept checking that we were okay on the bikes on the challenging Amritsar roads!

They are a really conscientious company who seem to genuinely care about giving a good experience to the customers 🙂Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Nice evening spent trying Street food on bicycles.” – Jasnesh

Went with my brother (only 2 of us on the tour). Guide was Aman. He was very humble. We are of Indian background so knew most of the food, that’s why Aman himself didn’t go too much into the details of each food. Visited around 8-9 stalls. It was a nice experience to try the local street food of Amritsar. Favorite was the jalebi at the end and momo and gol gappa. Just be careful while cycling in the busy streets. It is not for the faint-hearted.Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Fantastic Tours & Guides” – Nicola

I did 3 tours with this company, the Wagah Border Tour, the Golden Temple Walking Tour and the Amritsar Heritage Walking Tour. They were all really good but my favourite was the Golden Temple one. The guides are very knowledgeable and the tours are great value. I can’t recommend them enough.Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

The Hidden Secrets Cycle Tour and Golden Temple are must do activities when in Amritsar.

You will see sights and learn things that even lifelong residents of Amritsar do not know. It is definitely worth skipping that 6th kingfisher, setting your alarm and getting up early to enjoy these tours and the warm hospitality of this company and the people of Punjab.

I would like to say a huge thanks to Rishab for accommodating me at literally the last minute (I’m sorry for waking you up) and to Amandeep for 2 great Tours and for kindly giving me lifts to the start of the bike tour and to my hotel. The ride on a back of a scooter was an experience in itself.

Thanks and best wishes! I look forward to following your success on social media and be reminded of a truly unique birthday 🙂Read more on TripAdvisor ≫